A police officer from South Carolina (United States) has died and another has been injured this Saturday in a shooting that occurred in a city park, after the officers responded to a call about domestic violence. The alleged assailant also would have died from gunfire, according to information provided by local authorities.
"Tonight we have broken hearts," declared the local police chief, WH 'Skip' Holbrook, in a press conference where he confirmed the death of officer Christopher DeLong, who has been honored with a procession from the hospital. "I hope our officers know that they are not alone in this. We will support each other in these tragic times."
The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. (local time), when a woman alerted that a man with a restraining order was causing damage in her home. After obtaining the description of the vehicle, the officers located the suspect nearby in a park, where the exchange of gunfire ensued.
Moments later, a second officer arrived as support and, a few minutes later, communicated via radio that the officers "had been hit and a suspect had been shot down," according to the police chief's account.
DeLong, 29 years old, father of two small children and with two years of service in the department, had been described by his wife on social media as the "best dad for his babies" and stated that he was "living a nightmare."
The other officer involved in the shooting, David Dymock, was evacuated to the hospital, where he remains hospitalized in stable condition, as confirmed by the police department itself.